Congratulations on an excellent summer and fall of nordic training, most everyone with considerable improvement. With consistent improvement, anything is possible.

Looking ahead, continued improvement from now through your intended peak competitions latter in the winter requires consistent quality training, and taking care of other things in life consistent with quality training. Particularly relevant is what you do, or don’t do, between competitions once regular competitions begin in a few weeks time.

Over the winter months avoid the temptation to do too much training and maintain consistent quality training (with occasional competitions) to enable yourself to maximize your results. Being careful too schedule enough recovery between competition weekends and avoid the temptation to over race once the season begins.

If you have concerns or questions about what you are doing (or should be doing) in your training, now is a great time to address them.

KEY WORKOUTSInterval WorkoutsOver the winter aim to complete two interval workouts per week on Wednesday and Saturday when you do not have a race on the weekend and one interval session per week on Wednesday when you have finished up a racing weekend or gearing up for a racing weekend.

In season keep the intervals short with short rest to continue to build anaerobic power. Workouts with shorter reps, fewer number of reps, and/or greater recovery periods should be done faster than those with longer reps, more reps, and/or less recoveries.

If during or after a workout, you find that you could have maintained faster paces, do so next reps or workout. If during or after a workout, you find that you could not sustain the original paces, make that adjustment during the workout or in the next workout.

Over a period of time, you’ll learn by feel the maximum paces that you can ski throughout various workouts (and races). Think of interval workouts as just-manageable challenges, that barely exceed your current abilities. If you feel fully in control, make the next workout a bit harder. If you feel anxious or not in control dial things down a notch on your next workout.

Tempo WorkoutsTo round out your program so to compliment your formal interval workouts you would focus on 4-5 short 20 to 40 minute tempo workouts per week. The most important aspect of these tempo workouts is to understand that they are controlled tempo workouts, done on recovery-adaptation days; so the pace and volume must be controlled to allow full recovery-adaptation between formal workouts and prior to competitions.

Rather than skiing long and slow on these days, aim to get in some training that contributes to performance with these short crisp tempo skis.

Core Strength In conjunction with your tempo workouts on Tuesday and Thursday be sure to maintain your core strength through the winter.

Recovery WorkoutsRecovery workouts are done once per week on Sunday and as part of your warm up and cool downs before interval workouts and your warm up and cool downs before tempo workouts.

While not as important to development as Speed, Speed Endurance, Specific Endurance, and Anaerobic Threshold training, properly applied Aerobic Endurance training aids warm-up & recovery and contributes progressively to performances at greater distances/durations.

These recovery workouts on Sundays should stay in the range of 90 to 120 minutes as high volumes of long-slow workouts lowers the natural growth hormones in the body, it detracts from the development of Speed, Speed Endurance, Specific Endurance, and Anaerobic Threshold characteristics, and therefore actually negatively affects development and causes decreases of performances in middle distance and distance events.

REGENERATIONIf you are feeling really fatigued on any particular day, this is a good sign that your body needs more recovery before it is ready to tackle another challenging workout. Simply replace your workout for the day with a recovery workout or rest day. If injured, ill, or experiencing excess fatigue, don’t do the workout.

Otherwise, do the workouts as scheduled and make adjustments in paces (e.g., increases, decreases) within and across workouts to maximize each workout.​

Regardless of program, aim to take one day off a week. Have the courage to rest.

On your single off-days and extended breaks from training, truly dis-connect from your training.

Unplug both physically and mentally and engage in activities that you find relaxing and restorative.

Within the program the best days for rest days are Mondays and / or Fridays based on your schedule.

Congratulations on an excellent summer and fall of running, most everyone with considerable improvement. With consistent improvement, anything is possible.

Looking ahead, continued improvement from now through your intended peak competitions in 2018 requires consistent quality training, and taking care of other things in life consistent with quality training. Particularly relevant is what you do, or don’t do, between now and when regular competitions resume next spring.

Over the winter months avoid the temptation to take break from training and maintain consistent quality training (with occasional competitions) to enable yourself to be running faster come spring, and much faster thereafter, than you are today.

If you have concerns or questions about what you are doing (or should be doing) in your training, now is a great time to address them.

KEY WORKOUTSInterval WorkoutsOver the winter aim to complete two interval workouts per week. Workouts with shorter reps, fewer number of reps, and/or greater recovery periods should be run faster than those with longer reps, more reps, and/or less recoveries.

If during or after a workout, you find that you could have maintained faster paces, do so next reps or workout. If during or after a workout, you find that you could not sustain the original paces, make that adjustment during the workout or in the next workout.

Over a period of time, you’ll learn by feel the maximum paces that you can ski throughout various workouts (and races). Think of interval workouts as just-manageable challenges, that barely exceed your current abilities. If you feel fully in control, make the next workout a bit harder. If you feel anxious or not in control dial things down a notch on your next workout.

Tempo WorkoutsTo round out your program so to compliment your formal interval workouts you would focus on four short 20 to 40 minute tempo workouts per week. The most important aspect of these tempo workouts is to understand that they are controlled tempo runs, run on recovery-adaptation days; so the pace and volume must be controlled to allow full recovery-adaptation between formal workouts and prior to competitions.

Rather than running long and slow on these days, aim to get in some training that contributes to performance with these short crisp tempo runs.

Strength In conjunction with your tempo workouts on Tuesday and Thursday be sure to maintain your core strength though the winter.

Recovery WorkoutsRecovery workouts are done once per week on Sunday and as part of your warm up and cool downs before interval workouts and your warm up and cool downs before tempo runs.

While not as important to development as Speed, Speed Endurance, Specific Endurance, and Anaerobic Threshold training, properly applied Aerobic Endurance training aids warm-up & recovery and contributes progressively to performances at greater distances/durations.

These recovery workouts on Sundays should stay in the range of 90 to 120 minutes as high volumes of long-slow workouts lowers the natural growth hormones in the body, it detracts from the development of Speed, Speed Endurance, Specific Endurance, and Anaerobic Threshold characteristics, and therefore actually negatively affects development and causes decreases of performances in middle distance and distance events.

REGENERATIONIf you are feeling really fatigued on any particular day, this is a good sign that your body needs more recovery before it is ready to tackle another challenging workout. Simply replace your workout for the day with a recovery workout or rest day. If injured, ill, or experiencing excess fatigue, don’t do the workout.

Otherwise, do the workouts as scheduled and make adjustments in paces (e.g., increases, decreases) within and across workouts to maximize each workout.​Regardless of program, aim to take one day off a week. Have the courage to rest.On your single off-days and extended breaks from training, truly dis-connect from your training.Unplug both physically and mentally and engage in activities that you find relaxing and restorative.

Within the program the best days for rest days are Mondays and / or Fridays based on your schedule.

Once spring arrives you can start to add event specific endurance work with simulation workouts, replacing one formal interval workout every three weeks on terrain similar to your goal event.